Sheet feeding and cutting mechanism



J. N. TZIBIDES AND R. H. PARKER.

SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, l9l8.

1,347, 1 34. A Patented July 20, 1920;

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Ji 7 /l 64 avevfions:

J. N. TZIBIDES AND R. H. PARKER. SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. mm.

1,347,134. v P tented July 20, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented July 20, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2,1918.

J. N. TZIBIDE S AND R. H. PARKER. SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM.

J. N. TZIBIDES AND R. H. PARKER.

SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1918 1,347, 1 34. Patented July 20, 1920.

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kz's M111 UNITED STATES PATENT creme.

JAMES it meets or NEW was N- AND RILEY P RK 0F lNTHEQ M AQHWETTS; AID K R ssam 1 0 D 'IZIBIDES- sneer running; Ann CUTTING MECHANISM.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ju y 2 1 2 Original application filed February 19, 19 15, Serial No. 9, Divided and this application filed March 2, 1918. "Serial N0. 219,974.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we JAMES N. Tzmmns, a subject of the King of Greece, and resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, and RILEY HERBERT PARKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lVinthrop, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sheet Feeding and Cutting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding and cutting sheets of paper or the like, and more particularly to machines for feeding and cutting sheets of stamps, this application being a division of our earlier application Sr. No. 9232, filed February 19, 1915. e

It has been proposedto construct stamp cutting machines adapted to handle stamps which are supplied to the machine in the form of long strips wound into a roll from which the strip is drawn off to the stamp cutting mechanism, the stamps being cut off from the end of the strip one by one. One fault with this mode of operation is that varying conditions of temperature and humidity of the atmosphere cause the strips to vary in length by reason of expansion and contraction, resulting in improper feeding and cutting of the strips. Even a slight error in the feeding and cutting of the strip due to atmospheric changes will accumulate into a substantial error as the feeding and cutting progress, and although the machine might be started with the cuts being made at the proper points between the successive stamps, the cumulative error after a number of stamps have been cut off will bring the cuts through the stamps instead of between them.

The present machine instead of using stamps in the form of strips containing a single row of stamps, uses stzunpsin the form of sheets precisely as they are usually supplied by the Government. The ordinary sheet of revenue stamps consists of ten rows of stamps with ten stamps in each row. The machine operates automatically. to feed the sheets .oneat a time from a stack held in a sheet-holder or magazine to cutting devices which cut off a single row of stamps. The

stamps of that row are then subdivided one by one into individual stamps and are deliveredto suitable receiving mechanism.

The principal object of the present invention is automatically to cut sheets of stamps accurately into individual units although the nvention may be utilized for cutting sheets of any material into smaller units. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Flgure l isa plan view of a machine embodying the preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 of Fig. l; V

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged det il of the stamptransferring device hereinafter described; and i Fig. 6 is a detail of the shears hereinafter described. i i

Fig. 7 is a cross section partly in elevation taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 3:.

Fig. 8 is a separate view of the sheets pping. hanism The frame of the machine comprises a bed or table 1, upon which is mounted the sheetholder or magazine 2 having sidewalls 3, 3, separated a distance suitable to receive the sheet of stamps, labels or other units to be used in the machine. The sheet magazine 2 is made with an inclined floor 4 upon which the sheets are stacked between the walls 3, 3. At their forward ends the walls 3, 3, are provided with vertical grooves 5, 5 formed in their inner far es, to receive the ends of spacer bars 6 which are arranged alternately with the sheets of stamps indicated at S in Fig. 3. The spacer bars 6 serve to hold the forward ends of the stamp sheets separated so that the forward edges are individually accessible to be separately gripped by the sheet-feeding mechanism presently to be described. Each time the sheet-feeding mechanism operates it engages the forward edge of the lowermost sheet S and pulls it forward toward the left, as viewed in Figs. l to 3, a distance this point momentarily while a pair of, cute ters 9 and (Fig. sever the. advance row of strips from the sheet, after which the severed row of stamps is moved forward a short distance farther and deposited upon the shelf 48. i

. VVhile-supported on the shelf 418 the severed strip is moved transversely of the machine by a reciprocating feeder 68, which grips one end of the row of stamps, draws the row backward away from the shelf 48 a distance equal to the width-of one stamp, and here dwells momentarily while the shears 54, 55, sever the single "stamp from the strip upon the .line between the end stamp held'by the feeder 68 and the strip resting on shelf 48. As soon' as the advance stamp has been severed from the strip the feeder 68 resumes its movement away from the shelf, carrying the severed stamp into 'a pair of slots 85 provided in a stamp-supporting bracket 86, whereupon the feeder .68-

releases the stamp which is leftsupported' in the bracket 86. A rotating transfer member 87 movlng 1n the directlon of the arrow (Fig. 5) then comes into action, and is timed to operate so as to seize one edge of the stamp S (Fig. 5) the instant the stamp has i been lodged in slots 85, and released by the side .of the floor.

feeder 68. The transfer member 87 draws the stamp edgewise out of the slots 85 and deposits'it upon suitable receiving means.

' hen the last row of stamps of a sheet is drawn out of the sheet magazine 2, it passes out from under the spacer bar 6 which rests upon it, and said spacer bar falls by gravity through a slot'7 in the floor of the magazine 2, and into receptacle 8 onthe under Thereceptacle 8 is open at its ends so that the bars may bereadily withdrawn to be used againon other sheets placed in the magazine. 7 As each spacer bar drops through the bottom'of the magazine 1 when the sheet on which it rests is exhausted,

the advance end of the next sheet above will drop down under the weight of its spacer bar into position to be engaged by the sheetfeeden' V The two stripcutting blades 9 and 10 at the delivery end of the magazine 2 are nor-- mally in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower blade 10 1s fixed to a cross bar 11 fastened at its ends to a pair of slides 12,

I mounted in another pair of slides 13, which may be termed the main slides. The upper blade 9 is fixed to a cross bar 14, fastened at its ends to the main slides 13. The two sets of slides 12 and 1.3 carry cam rollers 15 and 16 respectively, which engage cams 17 and 18 forward the cross bars 11 and 14 move apart to permit the entrancebetween the blades of thesheet-feeder which enters the maga= zine and grips. the sheet. .At the proper 11011117111 eachfeeding movement of the lowermost sheet the two bars 11- and 1 1 with their blades 9 and 10 are-again closed together,thereby shearingoff the advance row or strip of stamps from the sheet.

This mechanism for feeding the sheets is mounted upon upright brackets 22 secured to the top of table 1. As is clearly shown in Fig. 8 'take'n'in connection with Fig. 7 it comprises a pair of slides 23, the right hand end of each of which constitutes one aw of a gripper, while the other jaw 21 of the gripper is pivotally mounted to the slide and is provided with an arm 25, connected by link 26: with an arm 27 ,loosely mounted on shaft 28. The shaft 28' is-supported at its endsby arms depending from brackets 22. Each arm 27 is pivotally connected with a rod 28' made with a threaded end on which is mounted a block 29 pivotally connected at 30 with an equalizing draft bar 31. Near its middle the bar 31 is pivotally connected, as at 32, with one end of a it a lever 38, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to the connecting rod 39, carrying a cam roll 40 (Fig. 4) cooperating with a cam 41 fast on cam shaft 19. The lower end of lever 38 is connected by spring 412 with the machine frame, and tends to urge the upper ends of arms 36 toward the right as viewed in Fig. 8. Said arms are swung toward the left by cam 11 acting through connecting rod 39, lever 38 and shaft 28. Each arm 36 extends across one of the arms 27 asshown in Fig. 7 and each arm 27 carries an adjustable stop 13 (Fig.

.3) by which the degree of lost motion between the two arms may be regulated.

' The arms 27 are swung toward the right relative to arms 36 by a spring 44 (Fig. 3) which is attached to a cross bar 45, connecting the arms 27. The arms 27 are swung toward the left relatively. to the arms 36 by V 41 permits the spring 42, acting through lever 38, arms 36 and the links 37, to shift the slides 23 toward the magazine 2. Immediately before the start of this movement of the slides 23, a depression 110 of cam 35 permits spring 44 to swing the arms 27 up against arms 36. This small relative moveinent between arms 27 and 36 acts through links 26 and arms 25 to open the gripper jaws 24, and permits the jaws to remain open while the recess 46 of cam 41 is permitting the movement of the slides 23 toward the magazine 2. Vhen the slides 23 reach the limit of their movement toward the magazine 2, the advance end of the lowermost sheet of stamps S within the magazine will be between the jaws of the grippers on slides 23. Immediately uponreaching this position a rise 111 on cam 35 acts through roller 34, connecting rod 33, equalizing bar 31, rods 28, arms 27, links 26 and arms 25, first to close both the gripper aws 24 upon the edge of the stamp sheet, and then to move slides 23 back again toward their initial position, carrying the sheet with it. 7

It will be noted that the gripping of the sheet of stamps is accomplished through moving the jaws 24 by means of the arms 25 which are integral therewith. The jaws 23 do not move in accomplishing the gripping or release of the sheet of stamps except in so far as the joint sliding movement of the sheet gripper assembly is concerned. The relation of the parts of the sheet gripper assembly is shown in Fig. 8 separate from the rest of the machine in order to clearly bring out the action of this assembly.

When the sheet has been drawn between the cutters 9 and 10 a distance equal to the width of one row of stamps, a dwell surface 47 on cam 35 momentarily arrests the movement of the slides 23 while the cutters 9 and10 are operated to close and sever the advance strip from the sheet. Immediately after the strip has been severed by the cutters 9 and 10, a rise 112 on the cam 35 continues the movement of slides 23 away from. the magazine 2 until the severed strip is brought into position on shelf 48. hen the severed row of stamps reaches its proper position on shelf 48, the

'cam 41 acts through connecting rod 39,

lever 38 and shaft 28 to hold the arms 36 in their retracted position against the pull of spring 42, while the cam 35 again permits the arms 27 to swing forward a little and open the grippers 24 to release the strip. Thus the gripper jaws 24 are first opened by cam 35, and then the slides 23 are moved toward the magazine wholly under the control of cam 41, and are moved back again to their normal position wholly under the control of cam 35, which at the start of this return movement acts to close the grippers 24 upon the lowermost sheet in ma azine 2.

'lhus the cam 41 normally holds the slides 23 fully retracted and the cam 35 normally holds the arms 27 away from arms 36 a distance sufficient to maintain the jaws 24 substantially closed. When a sheet is to be advanced from the magazine the order of operation is as follows: The depression 110 in cam 35 permits the arms 27 to swing forward into contact with arms 36 thereby opening the jaws 24. After the arms 27 are brought into contact with arms 36 the cam 35 ceases to function while the arms 27 and 36 together are permitted'to be moved into the full advance position under the sole control of cam 41. The control is then transferred to cam 35 which moves the arms back out of contact with arms 36 thereby closing the jaws 24 upon the sheet of stamps. The continued movement of cam 35 further retracts arms 27, thereby carrying arms 36 and slides with closed jaws backwardly. hen the jaws have almost reached the full retracted position they are stopped a moment to permit the new row of stamps to be cut off. Cam 35 then carries the jaws into full retracted position when cam 41 again comes into operation to hold the jaws in this position. Cam 35 .then permits arms 27 to move forward a slight amount to open the jaws.

As each row of stamps is fed forward into position on shelf 48, it is drawn edgewise under three pivoted detent shoes 49,

49 and 50. The shoes 49 are pivoted at 51 on shelf 48 and rest by gravity on the top of the stamp strip serving as friction brakes to prevent the accidental displacement of the strip or the too free movement of the strip by the stamp-feeder 68. The other shoe 50 is pivoted at 51 between two ears on one of the uprights 22, and has a tailpiece 52 which curves downwardly and toward the right into position to cooperate with a cam projection 53 on one of the cams 17 of the cam-shaft 19. The cam projec tion is so timed as to lift the shoe 50 and hold it out of the path of the stamp strip as the latter is drawn forward from magazine 2. The reason for this is that the detent shoe 50 is offset relatively to the grippers 24, and if the edge of the strip had to force its way under the detent 50 as it does under the detents 49 it would be apt to buckle.

The pivot 51 of detent 50 consists of a pin on which is hung the pair of shearblades 54 and 55. Said blades are connected by a yoke 56 (Figs. 1, 3 and 6), which in Y and from the end of the strip of stamps rest-' carrying a cam roll 58'whic'h occupies the groove of a cam 59 fixed to shaft 60. The shaft 60 carries at one end a spiral gear 61, which is driven by spiral gear 62 fast on shaft 63; shaft 63 is the main driving shaft of the machine. Main shaft 63 aso'carries a spiral gear 64 which'drives a spiral gear 65 (Fig. 4) compounded with a spur pinion 66. Pinion 66 drives aespur gear 67 fast on cam-shaft 19. 1 j 1 The pin 168 (Fig. 6) which pivot'ally connects the yoke 56 with the rod 57 is supported by the upper end of a link 169 (Fig. 2). Link 169 is loosely pivotedat 170 to a bracket mounted on the table 1. One end of the yoke 56 is pivoted at 171 to the blade 54 at one sideof the blade-pivot 51,

while the other arm of yoke 56 carries a ing on shelf 48. Th'e'forward end 70 (Fig.

1) of slide 68 constitutes the fixed jaw of a gripper, the movable jaw 71 being pivoted to slide 68 at 72. Said movable jaw 71 has an arm connected by link 73 with a lever 74' pivoted at 75 to slide 68. A spring 76,

between link 73 and slide 68 yieldihgly urges the gripper jaw 71 toward closedposition. The lever 74 carries a cam roll 77, which coiiperates wlth two cam projections 78 and 79 fast on shaft 80. Shaft 80 is provided with a spiral gear 81 which is driven by a spiral gear 82-fast on the main driving shaft 68.

The slide 68 also, carries a cam roll 83 which works in the cam groove of a cam drum 84 fast on shaft 85, to which the spiral gear 65 is also fastened, so that the cam 8 is driven from the main shaft 63.

As the cam 84 rotates it acts through the cam-follower 83 to reciprocate slide68 and move the gripper end of the slide toward and from the end of shelf 48. During its forward movement the feeder slide 68 starts with the gripper jaw 71 held closedby spring 7 6, but as the gripper jaw 71 nears the end of the strip of stamps projecting from shelf .48 the cam roll 77 engages the cam 79 on shaft 80, which operates through lever 74 and link 7 3 to open the gripper jaw 71. so that the end of the strip of stamps will pass between the jaw 71 and the lower j aw 70 of slide 68. As soon as the feeder 68 thus comes into gripping relation withthe end of the strip of stamps 011 shelf 48, the'cam 79 releases the cam roll 77 and permits'spring 76 to close the jaw 71 upon the edge 'ofthe endrnost a 68 momentarily stationary. At this momentv the shears 54 and 55 are operated by cam 59 to sever the endmost stamp held by the gripper 71 from the rest of the striph After this stamp has been cut off, the cam '84 continues the return movement of the feeder 68, and as the latter approaches the limit of its return movement'the stamp I held bythe gripper 71 is drawn ed'gewise into slots 85 of the bracket 86. As soon as the stamp is fully lodged within said slots the cam 78, acting through lever 74 and link 73, opens the gripper jaw 71, thus leaving the stamp loosely supported in the bracket 86 ready to be seized and withdrawn by the transfer member 87.

Thetransfer device is fixed to shaft 85, and consists'of a segment'of a cylinder 87 (Figs. 1 and 5) to which is pivoted a springpressed gripper 88 connected to an arm 89, which travels around a fixed cam on the frame of themachine. Cam 90 is timed to actupon arm 89 and open the gripper. 88 as the advance end 7 of the transfer segment 87 reaches the projection of the'stamp S held in bracket 86. The instant the gripper 88' passes the end of the stamp and the edge of the stamp occupies a position between the gripper 88 and the end of the member 87, the cam 90 releases the gripper 88,,and permits the spring 91 to snap the gripper into closed position upon the margin of stamp S.

' As the transfer device continues its'rotation around sprocket wheels (not shown) at each end ofthe machine and the transfer device deposits the stamps either upon the conveyer or upon articles (such as cigarette boxes 102) carried by the conveyer, but it is to be understood that the stamps may be de-' posited upon any suitable receiver.

' We claim: p

. 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a sheet magazine, spacers for holding the sheets in spaced relationship at thedeliveryend of the magazine,grippers for seizing the spaced end of asheet, and means for actuating the grippers to draw a sheet from the magazine.

2. In a machine oi the character described, a sheet magazine, spacers disposed between the sheets at the delivery end of the magazine; and means for gripping the end of the lower sheet and drawing it from the magazine, the magazine having an opening in its floor to permit the spacers to drop therethrough as the sheets are withdrawn from the bottom of the magazine. I

3. In a machine of the character described, a magazine for sheets having a transverse slot in its floor, one or more spacer bars adapted to be inserted between sheets contained within said magazine and to separate the edges of said sheets, and guideways in said magazine to engage the ends of said bars and to guide said bars toward said slot in the floor. I r

et. In a machine of the Character described, a magazine for sheets having a transverse slot in its floor," one or more spacer ba'rs adapted to be inserted between sheets contained within said magazine and to separate the edges of said sheets, and guiding grooves in the side walls of said magazine connected with the ends of the slots in the floor, adapted to engage the ends of said bars and guide the same through said slot.

5. In a machine of the character described. a magazine for sheets having a transverse slot in its floor, one or more spacer bars adapted to be inserted between sheets con tained within said magazine and to separate the edges of said sheets, guideways in said magazine to engage the ends of said bars and to guide said bars toward said slot in the floor, and sheet-feeding mechanism adapted to grip the separated end of the lowermost sheet and draw the same from the magazine.

6. In a machine of the character described, a reciprocating gripper, a pivoted arm for reciprocating the gripper, a second pivoted arm for opening and closing the gripper, the two arms being adapted to be moved into and out of contact with each other so as to open and close the gripper, and means to rotate the arms.

7. In a machine of the character described, a reciprocating gripper, a pivoted' posed so asto be moved into and out of contact with each other to open and close the gripper, and means acting upon the second arm for closing the gripper while in its forward position, then retracting both arms, and then opening the gripper.

9. In a machine of the character decrib'ed, a reciprocating gripper, a pivoted arm for reciprocating the gripper, a second pivoted arm for opening and closing the gripper, the two arms being collinearly disposed so as to be moved into and out of contact with each other to open and close the gripper, springs arranged to urge the arms in one direction, and cams respectively controlling the movement of the arms, one cam normally holding the first arm in retracted position and the other cam being timed to move the second arm out of contact with the first arm when in retracted position to open the grippers and to'move the second arm into contact with. the first arm when in advanced position.

10. In a machine of the character described, a sheet-magazine, cutters at the dclivcry end of said magazine, constituting a closure for the magazine when closed and the delivery opening of said magazine when open, mechanism to open and close said outters, grippers to draw a sheet from the magazine between said cutters, mechanism to move said grippers into and out of said magazine between said cutters when the cutters are open, to arrest such outward movement when the sheet has been drawn a predetermined distance between said cutters and while the cutters close, and then to continue such outward movement, and mechanism to open and close said grippers.

11. In a machine of the character described, a sheet-feeding mechanism cornprising a slide, a sheet gripper carried by said slide, a cam for operating the slide, and a cam for operating the gripper, said cams being relatively so coordinated and timed that the gripper will be opened as the slide moves forward toward the sheet and the slide will be moved forward under the con trol of the gripper cam, and at the end of the forward movement the gripper will be closed upon the sheet, and the slide and closed gripper will be moved rearwardly under the control of the slide cam.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination of sheet cutters, means to open and close the cutters to cut strips from a sheet advanced therebetween, a detent adjacent the cutters for holding the strips after being cut, and means to.

move the strip lengthwise from the detent.

13. In a machine of the character described, the combination of sheet cutters, means to open and close the cutters to cut strips from a sheet advanced therebetween, a detent adjacent the cutters adapted yieldingly to grip the strips after being cut, and means to move the strip lengthwise from the detent.

14. In a machine of the characterdev scribed, the combination of a sheet'magadetent.

15. In a machine of the character descrlbed, the combination of a sheet magazlne, cutters at the delivery end' of the magazine, a plurality of spaced grippers to draw a sheet from the magazine between said cutters, means to open and close said cutters to cut strips from the sheet, holding means adjacent each gripper for holding the strips after being cut, and means to draw the strips lengthwise from said holding means.

16. In a machine of the character described, the combination of asheet magazine,

' cutters at the delivery end of the magazine,

a plurality of spaced grippers to draw a sheet from the magazine between said cutters, means to open and close said cutters to cut strips from the, sheet, mechanism' arranged to seize one ,end of each strip and Withdraw it longitudinally, and a moving detent arranged to open to receive a strip after being cut and to hold it until withdrawn by said mechanism.

17 .i Sheet-feeding mechanism comprising a reciprocating member, agripper mounted on said membeigyielding means for normally maintairiihgjthe gripper cilosed, a cam memberon the gripper for opening the grippely and rotating cams at each end of the path of movement of the reciprocating member timed to engage'said cam member at each end of its reciprocation and open the gripper.

Signed by JAMEs N. TzIBIDEs at New York, N. Y.,' this 25 day of Jany.'l918.-

JAMES N. TZIBIDESQ Signed by RILEY IIEIiBERTPAIIKER at Boston, Mass, this 12th day of November 1917.

RILEY HERBERT PARKER; 

